Ubuntu Edgy Eft, First Impressions
Hey hey,
As it turns out, the problems I had installing the latest Ubuntu were caused by my DVD/CD burner. I couldn’t get a “good burn” until I used a different machine with a different burner. Funny enough, I don’t have problems when burning DVDs, it only seems to be an issue when burning CDRs. Once I overcame that particular hurdle I was able to install Edgy an give it a shot.
Moving on, Ubuntu 6.10, the Edgy Eft!
Boot times have REALLY improved. Changing from INIT to Upstart seems to have made a real difference. I’ll be honest, I have no idea what the differences are, I can only tell you that I’ve stripped out all of the services I don’t need on my dapper install and the Edgy boot time (unmodified) smokes Dapper.
They’ve FINALLY come up with a really nice looking boot splash. Nice work! It looks professional and sleek. The Human theme has gone through some changes, its a bit lighter and easier on the eyes. I still had to change it to something blue and more my style. I do like the Human theme, I just always find myself going to something blue or black/gray.
Installing Compiz is a simple process, technically I didn’t install compiz, I installed the Beryl fork using the guide available on the Ubuntu forums. Beryl is far cooler than the stock compiz in Fedora. I’m so new to these enhanced desktop effects that I can’t really go into the details of it. Once I get some experience with them I’ll give my impressions.
Edgy includes the latest and greatest Gnome, Firefox, Gaim, OpenOffice and other apps. If you want the newest, you’ll find it all here. I’m a huge fan of having the latest of everything, of course that can cause some instability. I haven’t been using Edgy long enough to say if there are any problems. If I find any, I’ll post about them here.
If its possible for you, I would suggest installing Edgy fresh. I haven’t attempted a Dapper upgrade, but I have seen a lot of people seeking help regarding issues with INIT/Upstart in the Ubuntu IRC channels. It makes sense to me, Edgy is such a different beast.. Upgrading could be a dangerous undertaking.
All in all, I’m really liking Edgy. IMO, for a new user it’s still above Fedora. I’ll still be using Fedora at work (I’m looking forward to getting in early Monday morning to get it installed) but at home I’m all Ubuntu 
Next project, getting the laptop up to Edgy and exploring the improved Gnome power management.
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